PROKLA - Zeitschrift für kritische Sozialwissenschaft
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Editorial: Perspektiven der Gesellschaftskritik heute
Get PDFEditorial: Perspektiven der Gesellschaftskritik heut
Gesellschaftskritik und imaginäre Institution: Zur Aktualität von Cornelius Castoriadis
Get PDFThe article demonstrates the topicality of Cornelius Castoridis’ work in pointing to some of its aspects which can be connected to current discussions about the role and the functions of social critique and which also show several weaknesses of this discussions. After a sketch of the development of Castoriadis’ thought, three connection points to these discussions are elucidated: the question of the conditions of the possibility and of the possibilities of a justification of critique; the concept of capitalism as a project of organization, rationalization and control, instead of a market society; and the distinctive interest in resistance and practical critique in everyday life which are interpreted as germs of a non-capitalist autonomous social institution
Editorial: Deutschland – Krisengewinner?
No full text„Wir wollen gestärkt aus dieser Krise hervorgehen“, hatte Bundeskanzlerin Merkel vor der Europawahl 2009 verkündet. Sie scheint ihr Ziel erreicht zu haben. Als wir das vorliegende Heft konzipierten, erschien Deutschland jedenfalls als Krisengewinner. Die deutsche Wirtschaft war zwar aufgrund ihrer hohen Exportabhängigkeit relativ stark von der Rezession zwischen dem Herbst 2008 und dem Frühjahr 2009 betroffen, erholte sich dann jedoch rasch wieder. Während das Bruttoinlandsprodukt 2009 um 4,7% schrumpfte, wuchs es 2010 um 3,5%. Dass auf den tiefen Einschnitt eine Periode kräftigen Wachstums folgte, war an sich nicht weiter verwunderlich: Es handelte sich im Grunde nur um eine Rückkehr zu dem Reproduktionsniveau vor der Krise. Es wurde bereits Mitte 2011 wieder erreicht. Im Vergleich zu den europäischen Nachbarn ist das ökonomische und politische Gewicht Deutschlands aber gewachsen. Lag der deutsche Anteil am Sozialprodukt der 27 EU-Länder 2007 bei 19,6%, so stieg er bis 2010 auf 21,9%
Industrialisierung und Konzentration: Die Analyse eines Zusammenhangs am Beispiel des Saatgutmarktes
Get PDFThe connection between economies of scale and concentration tendencies in markets has mostly been marginalized in the neoclassic tradition. This article focusses on the interconnection between industrialization – which is the sociological concept for economies of scale – and market concentration. The introduced theoretical concepts should be applied to the current developments in the seed sector which was under radical change in the last thirty years. The outcome of this transition is a highly concentrated seed market and the predominance of agrochemical companies in this sector
Gesellschaftskritik ohne Gegenstand: Axel Honneths Anerkennungstheorie aus materialistischer Perspektive
Get PDFHonneths theory of recognition has been broadly discussed as a central approach of critical social theory. Taking this seriously, the article traces first the main assumptions of Honneths approach and his examination of the main structures of society and therefor of the recognition-theoretical turn. Secondly, some major objections formulated by Nancy Fraser und Christoph F. Zurn and Jean-Philippe Derantys defence of Honneths approach will be discussed. Third, the article will argue that Honneths attempt to reformulate a normative critical social theory fails to grasp its object – society – adequately
Die finanz- und rentengetriebene Logik der multinationalen Unternehmen
Get PDFTransnational corporations (TNC) constitute not just big companies, but a special institutional form of the modern financial capital. Essential for them is the growing importance of intangible assets and goodwill what explains the widening gap between their book value and their stock exchange value. New business strategies are focused on the increase of short time liquidity with the aim of financing mergers and acquisitions. Dominating global value chains the TNC practice offshoring and outsourcing. These developments can be understood in the context of rent seeking behavior which already has been analyzed in a cogent way by Marx
An die Wertschöpfungskette gelegt: Die finanzgetriebene Restrukturierung in der deutschen Automobilzulieferindustrie und ihr Scheitern
Get PDFIn the past decade, there has been a wave of acquisitions in the German automotive supplier industry by private equity. The financialinvestors seemed to reorganize the sector but this process was abruptly halted becauseof the world economic crisis from 2008. A number of companies high above average ownedby private equity fell into insolvency and, overall, the power structures in the value chain ofthe industry remained stable. This is illustrated by means of empirical data of 163 corporatetakeovers. The example illustrates that the financial market capitalism is not able to establisha stable production regime yet.In the past decade, there has been a wave of acquisitions in the German automotive supplier industry by private equity. The financialinvestors seemed to reorganize the sector but this process was abruptly halted becauseof the world economic crisis from 2008. A number of companies high above average ownedby private equity fell into insolvency and, overall, the power structures in the value chain ofthe industry remained stable. This is illustrated by means of empirical data of 163 corporatetakeovers. The example illustrates that the financial market capitalism is not able to establisha stable production regime yet
Blindstellen: ungleiche Entwicklung und ungleiche Mobilisierung in der EU
Get PDFThe article critically comments some of the conclusions by Alex Demirovi? and Thomas Sablowski in their article on the crisis in PROKLA No. 166. These two authors emphasise that it should be an aim of the left “to create the unity of the subaltern classes in Europe through joint struggles”. According to the critical comment, these two authors underestimate the degree of uneven development which results in uneven patterns of mobilisation across the European continent. In Greece, the left wing alliance Syriza came close to government power. Syriza faces with renewed urgency the question whether to continue Greece’s euro zone membership. The alliance is split on the issue. The majority of the alliance has come out in favour of staying in the euro zone. The article argues that economic recovery and the development of alternative economic policies in Greece are hardly compatible with a continued euro zone membership of the peripheral euro zone countries
Argentiniens besetzte Betriebe: Über das emanzipatorische Potenzial und die Dilemmas der Selbstverwaltung
Get PDFThe article examines the socio-economic and political-ideological context that provoked the renaissance of workplace recuperations in Argentina during the 1990s and in the immediate aftermath of the country’s economic crisis in 2001-2002. In addition, it will discuss the emancipatory potential and the main obstacles and limitations of workers’ control. While most initiatives quickly disappeared during Argentina’s economic recovery in the years following the crisis, occupied and recuperated enterprises successfully emerged as the strongest and most organized form of popular protest. The workers’ longstanding struggle for the recuperation of the means of production, in part, radically altered existing forms of representation and participation in the workplace
Den Stier das Tanzen lehren? Europa vor neuen Herausforderungen
Get PDFThe crisis of the European Union cannot be solved by austerity programs. Therefore a closer look at the reasons of the crisis seems to be reasonable, which includes a description of the development of the EU from 1951 to present times. The Union started as a tariff union and evolved through different steps to an order of competitive states. The main fields of competition between the states are taxes and social costs, which leads to tax dumping and a race to the bottom in social benefits. Starting in 1990 the EU achieved the status of an open financial market, with the duty of deregulation of capital movements being stipulated in Treaties. In the end the problem is not a debt crisis but a crisis of the structure of the European Union. The solution – which especially the German government prefers – may be the first step on the way to an authoritarian state